Stranded Limos, Wrong Dates, Botched Toasts: Obama Has Rough Time in Europe, What a Joke

But I'm not a queen (thank God) and I don't have to be gracious. Queens are gracious by nature. There is a well-known story that when Queen Victoria hosted a dinner for an African chief, when the finger bowls were served, being unfamiliar with the custom, he lifted it to his mouth and drank. After a few embarrassing seconds, Queen Victoria took her finger bowl and did the same, in order guard her distinguished guest from humiliation. Everyone then courtesously followed the Queen, all drinking the contents of their fingerbowls.

This is out of a screwball comedy.

How did he miss toasting Queen Elizabeth in an Irish Pub?

My favorite line (I wish it were mine) was from Dennis Miller. Dennis Miller noted that Obama first stood up at the state banquet, turned to Lady Camila [Parker-Bowles] next to him and said, "Helen Thomas, you have the first question."

Stranded Limos, Wrong Dates, Botched Toasts: Obama Has Rough Time in Europe

[short post, full length]

President Obama is certainly having a rough time during his trip to Europe. Several small gaffes seem to be adding up.

First, Obama's eight-ton armored limo nicknamed "The Beast" got stuck on a steep driveway while leaving the American embassy in Dublin. Ireland. He had to be switched to an inferior limo. Some say it was a Ford Festiva [what, no Volt charged up in the trunk?]. Not Obama's fault, but still.

Then while signing the guestbook at Westminster Abbey, Obama tried to turn back the hands of time, signing the date "24 May 2008." Maybe he secretly longs for the less turbulent days before he was president.

Then he botched a toast to Queen Elizabeth. This one was only partly his fault. While delivering his toast, the orchestra started playing "God Save the Queen" a bit too early. Instead of just stopping, Obama plodded on, and when he raised his glass, no one else did, instead getting a tisk-tisk glance from the Queen (you Americans are still my subjects!). The London Telegraph reports it is customary for people to stand at attention in the U.K. during the playing of the national anthem. [He may have thought it was 'My Country 'Tis of Thee']

After the song was over, Obama again raised his glass, and everybody then followed.

Obama shrugged off the incident, joking to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that the orchestra gave him a soundtrack to his closing passage, according to the New York Daily News.

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